Drawer closure



May 2, 1933.

H. R. RosENDAHL 1,906,723

DRAWER CLOSURE Filed June'?, 1952 s sheets-sheet 1 [/v ff/v for Hanna /Poswpam s 'Q mFMMf-H May 2, 1933. H. R. RosENDAl-u. 1,906,723

DRAWER CLOS URE 7, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fi'led June Y [NVP/vr AJH/falo /P Rosny/04 .4r-ra News May 2, 1933- H. R. RosENDAHL 1,906,723

DRAWER CLOS URE Filed June '7, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 l n t .IA/rfw r o z HRoLo A? iPass/wim'.

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Patented May 2, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAROLD B. ROSENDAHL, OF mlmms, MINNESOTA, ABBIGNOR T0 WATERS- GENTER OOHPLNY, 0l' MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION 0E* MINNESOTA DRAWER GLOSUBE Application led June 7. 1932. serial No. 615,837.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in drawer closures and more particularly to a drawer closure operating mechanism.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive mechanism adapted for use in connection with a drawer provided with a suitable closure, whereby said closure may be elevated relatively to the drawer to partially open the closure and permit air circulation through the drawer.

A further object is to rovide in combination with a drawer adpted to be supported within a closed'chamber, a suitah e closure therefor having means for supporting it independently of the drawer, and means being provided exteriorly of the cabinet for relatively moving said closure out of sealing relation with the open top of said drawer without opening the drawer chamber.

A further object is to provide in combination with a food reserving cabinet havmg a food storage e amber therein, a suitable drawer adapted to support food stull's in said chamber, and said drawer having a closure adapted to be iloatin ly supported thereon in sealing relation, and means being provided for bodily vertically moving the drawer into sealing relation with the elosure, when the drawer reaches its normal position within the chamber, and said means also causing the drawer to move out of engagement with the closure, when the drawer is moved :from its normal position.

Other objects reside in the means provided or supporting the drawer within the compartment and whereby said drawer will be bodily moved into engagement with the closure, when it reaches the limit of its inward movement; in the means' for 'su port ing the closure independently of the diawer and whereby when the closure is relatively translated in one direction, and upward movement will be imparted thereto to move it out of sealing relation with the drawer; in the means provided whereby the closure will be iloatin y supported upon the drawer in sealing re ation, when the drawer assumes a position within the chamber; in the novel construction of the closure supporting and operating mechanism whereby the closure is supported independently of the drawer within the chamber, and whereby the closure ma conveniently be moved into and out of sea ing relation with the drawer when the latterl is in its normal position within the closed chamber of the cabinet; and in the specific construction of the closure operating mechanism which comprises telescoping members, one of which is rotatably mounted in suitable threads provided in a xed support, and the other member being ree ceived in threaded engagement with said rotatable member and having an operative connection with the drawer closure, and the threaded connection between said members being such that when said rotatable member is rotated in its support and relatively axially moved therein, said second member will be relatively axially translated in said ro tatable member in the same direction, whereby the closure may be quickly moved into or out of sealing relation with the drawer.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description and accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings, there has been disclosed a structure designed to carry ont the various objects of the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the exact features shown as various changes may be made within the scope of the claims which follow.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a vertical sectional view of a portion of a cabinet, showing the drawer in lts normal closed position, the closure being shown in closed position;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure l showing the drawer partially withdrawn from the cabinet and the drawer open;

Figure 3 is a detail view on the line 3-3 of Fi re l, showin the means for supporting t e drawer wit in the cabinet and also the means for supporting the closure independently of the drawer;

Figure is an enlarged detail sectional view showing the general construction of the operating mechanism for the drawer closure;

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view on the line 5 5 of Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view on the line 6-6 of Figure 4, showing the linger knob 49 pulled out.

In the construction of food preserving cabinets, such as are often used 1n places where food is served, it is desirable that means be provided whereby the food containing drawers of the cabinet may be sealed so as to revent moisture from escaping from the ood supported therein. It is also desirable that means be provided whereby the closure may, if desired, be slightly opened so as to permit the escape of moisture from the food contained in the chamber of the cabinet, without o ening the drawer chamber to the atmosf pliere, and it is to this particular feature, and also the means for supporting the drawer, that the present invention relates.

In the selected embodiment of the invention here shown, for pur oses of disclosure, there is illustrated in igures 1 and 2, a portion of a cabinet 2 comprising insulated walls 3, 4, 5, and 6, which define a chamber 7 adapted to receive a suitable drawer 8, the walls of which are spaced from the corresponding walls of the chamber 7, so as to rovide an air space around the drawer.

ie front wall 9 of the drawer is shown provided with forward] extending members 11 to the outer ends of wh'ch is secured a suitable panel 12 provided with an annular fiange 13 adapted to be seated against the outer surface of the front wall 5 when the drawer is closed. The panel 12 is adapted to be received within an opening 14 rovided in the front wall 5 of the cabinet an through which the drawer 8 is movable.

Fixed rails or tracks 15 are secured to the side walls 16 of the cabinet by suitable brackets 17, as shown in Figure 3. Relatively smaller rails or tracks 18 are secured to the side walls of the drawer and u n the rear end portions of these latter ral s, a pair of wheels or rollers 19 are mounted. These rollers are adapted to travel upon the fixed rails 15 secured in the chamber 7.

AI; the front end of the drawer, adjacent to the opening 14, there is provided a pair of similar wheels or rollers 21 which are suitably supported u on the walls of the chamber 7 by suitabe means, not shown. The wheels 21 are en aged by the rails 18 of the drawer 8, as wi 1 readily be noted by reference to Figures 1 and 2.

By thus supporting the drawer within the chamber 7 the latter may be freely moved into and out of the chamber 7 in very much the same manner as the drawer in an ordinary filing cabinet. The rails 15, it will be noted by reference to Figure 3, are provided with horizontally disposed flanges 22 and 23 between which the rollers 19 travel. A suitable stop, not shown, is provided for limiting the outward movement of the drawer.

A suitable drawer locking mechanism is provided at the front end of the drawer and com rises a spring-actuated latch 20 pivotal y supported upon a bracket 24 secured to the front wall 9 of the drawer and having a suitable spring 25 constantly ur ng it in an upward direction so as to cause t e curved face 26 thereof to lockingly engage the inner corners 27 of the drawer opening 14 when the drawer is closed. An operating handle 28 is pivotally mountd upon the panel 12 of the drawer and has a pair of arms 29 extending through suitable openings in the panel and sup orting a bar 31 which is adapted to engage t e depending portion 32 of the latch 20, to thereby move the latter out of locking engagement with the corner 27 of the opening 14. The latch portion 20 is ivotally and adjustably secured to a compemental portion 33 to provide means for adlusting the curved face 26 with respect to the front wall 9 of the drawer in such a manner that when the drawer is in its normal closed sition, as shown in Figure 1, the latch will hold the fiange 13 of the panel 12 firmly against the outer face of the wall 5 to seal the opening 14.

An im ortant feature of this invention resides in t e novel construction of the closure 34 and the means for su porting the same within the chamber 7 in ependently of the drawer 8. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the closure 34 is preferably of sheet metal and is provided at its edges with a bead 35, box-like 1n cross-section, and having its bottom face 36 adapted to en age the upper face of an outwardly turne ange 37 provided upon the drawer.

Suitable brackets 38 are secured to the closure and extend downwardly therefrom at opposite sides thereof and have inclined slots 39 adapted to receive suitable pins 41, which may be fixedly secured to suitable plates 42, here shown interposed between the brackets 17 and the tracks 15, as best shown in Figure 3. When the closure is in the position shown in Figure 1, it will be fioatingly supported upon the flange 37 of the drawer, 1t being noted that the pins 41 are then spaced from the upper edges of the guide slots 39, so that the entire weight of the closure will be supported directly upon the drawer.

To thus cause the closure to be iloatingly supported upon the drawer, when the latter is in its normal closed position, means is provided for verticall elevating the drawer when it reaches the imit of its inward movement, as shown in Figure 1. To thus elevate the drawer, each track 15 may be provided with a raised portion or hum 43, and the rails or tracks 18 secured to t e side walls of the drawer are provided with similar depending portions or humps 44. The raised portions 43 and depending portions 44 are so spaced a art lengthwise of the drawer, that when e drawer is in its normal position shown in Figure 1, the rollers 19 at the rear of the drawer will be engaged with the raised portions 43, and the portions 44 at the forward end of the drawer will be engaged with the rollers 21, thereby causing the drawer to be bodily elevated so that its flange 37 will engage the bead 35 of the closure 34, and lift the closure out of engagement with the pins 41, so that its entire weight will be su ported upon the llange 37 of the drawer. s soon as the drawer is initially moved forward in the operation of withdrawing it from the chamber 7, the rollers 19 and 21 will move out of engagement with their respective portions 43 and 44 of the rails 15 and 18, respectively, thereby causing the drawer to be lowered out of engagement f with the closure, as shown in Figure 2. The

drawer may then be conveniently withdrawn from the chamber 7 without frictionally engaging the closure during its movement into an out of the chamber.

Means is also provided for relatively elevating the closure so that it may be moved out o sealing relation with the drawer, when the latter is 1n its normal position, as shown in Figure 1. Such means is best shown in Figure 4 and comprises telescoping members one of which is 1n the form of a threaded sleeve 45 received in threaded engagement with a plate 46 shown secured to the inner surface of the front wall 5 of the cabinet. The sleeve 45 has a stem 47 extending ontwardly through an opening 48 provided in the wall 5, and a. finger knob 49 is secured to the outer end of the stem whereby it may be conveniently rotated. In order to permlt axial movement of the sleeve 45 in the plate 46, the opening 48 in the wall 5 is made Sulliciently large to receive the sleeve 45. To provide a neat and finished appearance, a suitable liller block 51 is mounted upon the stem 47 between the end of the sleeve 45 and the finger knob 49. This block is prevented from relatively rotating in the opening 48 by having a flat face 52 on one side thereof which engages a correspondingly flattened face provide in the bore of the opening 48. A suitable finish plate 53 is shown secured to the outer face of the wall 5, and has an opening 54 through which the filler block 51 may travel when the sleeve 45 is axially translated. The word Open may be marked or impressed in the surface of the llat face 52 of the block 51 to indicate to the attendant when the drawer closure is in open position.

A connecting rod 55 has a hooked terminal 56 pivotally secured to the closure 34, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The opposite end of this rod is loosely received in a socket provided in one end of a threaded member or plug 57, which is received in threaded engagement with a socket 58 rovided in the sleeve 45. The member 57 is eld against rotation by a pin 59 assing through the end thereof and the r 55, as clearly shown in Figure 4. It is to be understood that the connection between the rod and socket 50 is such as to permit slight up and down movement of the opposite end of the rod, so as to prevent the rod from binding in the socket 56, when the rod is moved u and down with the closure, as indicated y the full and dotted lines in Figure 1.

By reference to Figure 4, it will be noted that the exterior threads of the sleeve 45 are shown cut right hand, while the threads in the socket 58 are cut left hand. By thus cuttin these threads, when the knob 49 is rotate counter-clockwise, the sleeve 45 will be axially translated in an outward direction in the wall 5, and at the same time, the member 57 will be relatively axially translated in the sleeve 45 by reason of its threaded connection therewith. Because of the threads in the socket 58 being cut opposite to tbe exterior threads of the sleeve 45, the member 57 will travel at relatively greater s d than the sleeve 45, which greater spec is transinitted to the closure 34, whereby it may be qaickly moved out of sealing relation with the drawer. Conversely, when the knob 49 is rotated clockwise, the sleeve will be moved inwardly and the member 57 will be moved in the same direction at a. relatively greater speed so as to quickly return the closure to its closed position upon the drawer.

By thus constructing the operating mechanism for the closure, the latter may be quickly moved into or out of sealing relation with the drawer by simply turning the finger knob 49. It is to be understood that when the closure is moved in a direction towards the front wall 5 of the cabinet, the upper edges of the inclined guide slots 39 will engage the pins 41 and thereby elevate the closure and, conversely, when the closure is moved in the opposite direction, or away from the front wall 5, the guide slots will permit the drawer to be lowered to its normal position to be engaged by the drawer, when the latter is moved into its normal position, shown in Figure 1.

Thus, it will be seen that by the employment of the novel closure operating mechanism herein disclosed, the closure may be quickly and conveniently moved into or out of sealing relation with the drawer top without having to pull the drawer out of the chamber 7. The closure, it will be noted, is supported within the chamber independent-ly of the drawer, and is not movable with the drawer when the latter is moved in and ont of the chamber 7. Also, because of the closure being loatingly supported upon the drawer top, the connection between the drawer and closure will be substantially sealed when the drawer is in its normal position, as shown in Figure 1, which is important in that if any slight irregularities should occur in the alinement of the rails which sup port the drawer, such misalinement will not effect the seating of the closure upon the drawer.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a cabinet having a chamber therein, a drawer mounted for movement in sa1d cham ber, a closure for the drawer, means in said chamber adapted to support the closure iiidependently of the drawer, and permitting it to sealingly engage the drawer, when the atter is moved into the chamber, and means for elevating the closure in parallel relation to the drawer top to break the seal between it and the drawer.

2. In combination with a clpsed cabinet having suitable supports therein a drawer mounted for movement upon said supports, a closure for the open top of said drawer, means movably supporting said closure, means for elevating said drawer when it is moved into its normal position to thereby cause it to engage and elevate said closure, whereby the latter will be floatingly supported thereon in sealing relation.

3. A cabinet having a chamber therein provided with siiitable guides, a drawer supported on said guides and adapted to be moved into and out of said chamber, a clo sure for the drawer, means for independently supporting said closure within the chamber, means by which said closure is lloatingly supported upon the drawer when the latter is in normal osition, and means exteriorly of the cabinet or relatively elevatingr said closure to break the seal between it and the drawer top.

4. A cabinet having a chamber therein provided with suitable rails, a drawer movably mounted on said rails and adapted to be moved into and out of said chamber, a closure for said drawer positioned within the chamber, inclined guides for supporting the closure independently of the drawer, and means for relatively moving said closure up on said guides to move it out of engagement with tlie upper portion of the drawer.

5.. A cabinet having a chamber therein provided with suitable rails, a drawer movably mounted on said rails and adapted to be moved into and out of the chamber, a closure for the drawer supported within the chamber and adapted for vertical movement, and means on said rails for bodily elevating the drawer when it reaches the limit of its inward movement to thereby cause it move into sealing relation with said closure.

6. A cabinet having a chamber therein provided with suitable rails, a drawer movably mounted on said rails and adapted to be moved into and out of said chamber, a cloincarna sure for the drawer, means for supporting said closure independently of the drawer and permitting relative vertical movement thereof, means independent of the drawer for moving the closure out of sealing relation therewith, and means for bodily elevating the drawer when it reaches the limit of its inward movement to thereby move it into sealing relation with said closure, and whereby when the drawer is initially moved in a direction to withdraw it from the chamber, the drawer will automatically be lowered out of engagement with said closure.

7. A cabinet having a chamber therein, a drawer movably mounted in said chamber and provided with a closure, means for su porting the closure independently of the drawer, and an operating mechanism for said closure comprising telescopin members, one of said members being movaby mounted in a fixed support and the other having an operaf tive connection with the closure, and means by which when said first mentioned member 1s axially translated, said second mentioned member will be relatively axially translated therein in the same direction to operate the closure.

8. A cabinet having a chamber therein, a drawer movably mounted in said chamber and provided with a closure, means for supporting the closure independently of the drawer, and an operating mechanism for said closure comprising telescoping members, one of said members being movably mounted in a f ixed support and the other having an operative connection with the closure, and th readed means for relatively axially translating said second mentioned member in said first mentioned member to move said closure into and out of sealing relation with the drawer.

9. A cabinet having a chamber therein, a drawer movably mounted in said chamber and provided with a closure, means for supporting the closure independently of the drawer, and an operating mechanism for said closure comprisiii telescoping members, one of said members ing received in threaded engagement with a support and having means whereby it may be conveniently rotated to impart axial movement thereto, the other of said members having an operative connection with the closure and being rcceived in threaded engagement with said rotatable member, and the thread connection between said members being such that when the rotatable member is rotated and axially translated in its support, the other of said members will be relatively axially translated in said rotatable member in the same direction to thereby quickly move the closure into and ont of sealing relation with the drawer.

10. A cabinet having a chamber therein provided with suitable opening, a drawer movably mounted in said chamber and having means for closing said opening to seal the chamber, a closure for the drawer within said chamber, inclined guides for supportin the closure independently of the drawer, an an operating mechanism for horizontavlilvl' i I moving said closure whereby said guides cause xt to move into or out of sealing relation with the drawer said o' rating mechanism comprising a threade sleeve received in threaded engagement with a wall of the 10 cabinet and having an o rating member sitoned exterioriy of t e cabinet where y said sleeve ma 'be rotated to relatively axially translate 1t in said wall, and a member received in threaded engagement with said l5 sleeve and having an o rative connection with said closure, the t readed connection between said sleeve and said member bein such that when the sleeve is rotated and ax1- ally translated in one direction, said member 2o will be relatively axially translated in said sleeve in the same direction, thereby causing the drawer to be quickly moved into or out of sealing relation with said drawer.

11. A cabinet havin a chamber therein g5 provided with a suitab e o ning, a drawer movably mounted in said amber and having means for closing said opening to seal the chamber, a closure for the drawer, means for supporting the closure within said chamber ao and independently of the drawer, and an operating mechanism for moving said closure into and out of sealing relation with the drawer, said operating mechanism com rising a threaded sleeve received in thread enu gagement with a support in a wall of the cabinet and having an operatin member positioned exteriorly of the cabinet whereb said sleeve may be rotated to relatively axially translate it in said wall, a non-rotatable 40 plu received in threaded engagement with sai sleeve and having an o rative connection with said closure, and t e threaded connection between said plug and said sleeve being such that when the sleeve is rotated 45 and axiallgetranslated in its supports, said plu will relatively axially translated in sai sleeve in the same direction, whereby the drawer may be quickly moved into or out of sealing relation with said drawer. 5g In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 1st day of June, 1932.

HAROLD R. ROSENDAHL. 

